Reviews

I have an addiction: collecting momiji dolls! I started with one that resembled one of my daughters, and have since created a theme of collecting momijis that represent/resemble a family member! Giggles 2 stands approcimately 8cm tall, and looks just like the picture view on screen. These little dolls make great decor accents around the home.

Reviews

What idiot at Columbia came up with this packaging? DVD's are stacked on top of each other. That combined with the discs practically being imbedded in plastic makes it inevitable that nicks and scratches will result. Samuel Fuller fans are a very dedicated lot, yet also demand high quality. It appears the studio was banking on the dedication aspect, while agnoring the quality part. How many years have we waited for the "The Crimson Kimono" on DVD? ...and when it is released, it's accompanied by crappy packaging - not in a public domain issue, but by the originating studio that bills itself as top of the line. To the executives at Columbia Pictures, you should be ashamed of yourselves!

Unless you are already familiar with these films, proceed with caution. Underworld USA is the legitimate star here with Kimono serving as a quality runnerup. The other films may be of historical interest for Fuller completists, or film history buffs, but they are not great films, or scripts. The documentaries are a bonus for those unfamiliar with Fuller's films, but, then again, there are better documentaries. Given the contents, the box is wildly overpriced. For the $80 list price, you can buy most of Fuller's great films on DVD, and have enough left over for a whiskey and a good cigar [or popcorn]. The tragedy here is that Underworld USA is one of Fuller's greatest films, and it is not otherwise available on DVD. Until such time as it is available as a single disc, I will make do with the RAM disc copy I grabbed off TCM overnight. Recommended Fuller films: NOIR: Pick-Up on South Street, Underworld USA, Naked Kiss; WESTERNS: Forty Guns, I Shot Jesse James; WAR: Steel Helmet/Fixed Bayonets, Big Red One; OTHER: Shock Corridor.

Sam Fuller has an artist's eye that you can really see in his films. He is one of the few that can capture the reality of the 'Underworld' without making a mockery of it. He also brings the audience in to see the real L.A., n ot just Sunset Strip, but downtown, like the real Main Street and Little Tokyo and let's the location become another character of its own. This is a must for any film lover or friend, even if they have never heard of Sam or his films. I am a 28 year old female that normally does 'girly stereotypes', and went to see a screening of Underworld U.S.A. and Crimson Kimono. I am now a die hard fan! I use this as an example that he spans all sexes and generations. Enjoy!

I preordered this set as soon as I knew it was available--been waiting a long time for UNDERWORLD U.S.A. Anyone reading this probably already knows how good and how important Sam Fuller's work is. My purpose is to say that I had no trouble whatsoever with the spindles, cases, or any other aspect of the packaging, unlike an earlier reviewer. Don't be put off. And transfer quality is good .

These are some films I've been waiting literally thirty years to see on DVD; finally, Sony/Columbia scours the vaults, and puts them out. Three films stand out for me: Phil Karlson's superb SCANDAL SHEET, based on the novel by Fuller entitled THE DARK PAGE; the underrated thriller SHOCKPROOF, smoothly directed by Douglas Sirk, which is, again, based on a storyline by Fuller; and, as the topper to the package, Fuller's brilliantly violent UNDERWORLD USA, with a great performance by Cliff Robertson as young punk Tolly Devlin in the lead, and Robert Emhardt as the grossly overweight syndicate head whom Tolly ultimately destroys. SCANDAL SHEET, with a searing performance by Broderick Crawford in the lead as corrupt newspaper editor Mark Chapman, is also especially recommended. I ordered this set immediately, and I urge you to do the same; these three films alone are worth the price of admission. Now, seriously, if Sony/Columbia would just release Joseph H. Lewis's MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS on DVD, and while they're at, a complete set of all eight 1940s classic noirs in THE WHISTLER series, many of them directed by William Castle, we'd be our way to some real understanding of the noir films of the period. Are you listening, corporate people? Five stars all the way.

Reviews

My daughter loves this costume (she is 11) - she picked it out and when it arrived she couldn't wait to try it on. She looked adorable in it. It's very nice and easy to put on. We did her hair in a bun and used a different hair decoration that we already had. The headband that comes with the costume is ok - but my daughter preferred the pink fancy hair scrunchie we already had.

Reviews

I purchased this costume for my 8 year old daughter for Halloween 2009. Although it is a beautiful costume, it is poorly made. The material rips very easily. The back of the costume had a rip down the seem before we even left the house. Again, save your money, the costume will not stay together 24 hours after you open it.

NEGATIVES: Costume was a TERRIBLE fit; very odd proportions, uncomfortable, and unwearable without MAJOR alterations (inc. the hair ornament!) POSITIVES: Colors were pretty - Costume made it through Trick-or-Treating without falling apart THE DRESS: I bought this for my 6 yr old...what's to fit??? She's tall for her age so I usually have to buy clothes made for older girls. This usually means that some aspect of the item is a little large, like, the sleeves being too long. This was NOT the case with this costume. Far, far from it. Although the length was fine, my mother and I spent the week before Halloween splitting the seams along the arms -from armpit to below the elbow- and completely removing the elastic band from the waist area. We were forced to leave the arm seams open, only sewing the sides to prevent further fraying. To help camouflage the, now, gaping sleeves problem, we had her wear a light pink, long-sleeve shirt underneath the costume. It also helped that we waited until after sundown to begin our evening. THE HAIR ORNAMENT: See how this hair ornament sits atop the little girls head in the photo? We managed to get the same effect, but, first, we had to anchor the flower to the hair comb, and then do the same with the fan to the flower. A few quick stitches did the trick, but my mom and I were so frustrated at this point that it seemed a MAJOR bother. This costume was so "off" that we decided to make an entirely different costume ( based on the Bloobytack character from G Is for One Gzonk!: An Alpha-number-bet Book ) for her school's Halloween Parade. However, that ended up being a lot of fun to create! We felt the kimono was just too awkward for her to slip on by herself. In the end, she did look adorable, and she and her father -who wore the Kabuki Warrior Adult Costume- received loads of compliments. I mentioned in the beginning of this review that the colors of the kimono were very pretty, and that is the truth, but I'll pay the extra $10 and stick to costume stores with fitting rooms for our future costume needs.

Reviews

Kimono My House being Sparks 3rd studio album and their 1974 release was met with positive reviews. Allmusic gave it high marks and I agree with their grade, i.e., 4/5. The album is a good example of Glam Rock and it sounds a lot like David Bowie's sound in the 70's. All the lyrics are included and one gets a list of whom and what they play. 4/5.

Wandering into a record shop (that's a lie-I was a destination shopper when it came to record stores) in 1971, I found a copy of Halfnelson in a box on the floor for two bits. I liked the cover, it looked interesting, I took it home and played it for a week. I just played it last week, in fact. I learned that they changed their name to Sparks and had a new album (Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing) which I loved as much as the first. Then came Kimono in 1974 and the band was gone, with just the two brothers remaining. The new drummer's name was Dinky Diamond. I was very suspicious. The sound was no longer eclectic and strange, but a full-on sonic blast. Upon closer listening I discovered one thing was completely unchanged: lyrics and song conceptions were as unusual as ever. After all, these guys wrote a song about a guy who gets into car accidents to meet girls. They weren't about to start singing pedestrian lyrics about boogieing down, were they? No, as it turns out, that would come later, but it would be just as off the wall as everything else they've done. "Kimono My House" is one of the best Sparks records, and the first in a trio of greats that also includes "Propaganda" and "Indiscreet." From the blast-off of "This Town..." to "Equator" this album has no weak spots. While Russell's voice is unusual (irritating to some, I guess) it is the only proper instrument for these songs. You want great lyrics, how about: "Girls grow tops to go topless in while we sit and count the hairs that blossom on our chins Our voices change at rapid pace I could start a song in tenor and end up as bass" Music that rocks without being repetitive and hackneyed? Try "Amateur Hour" "Hasta Manana" and "This Town." Yes, they are unusual, but the last time I checked, that was an asset when it's not done for cheap laffs. If you like things a bit out of the ordinary, unusual but not indecipherable, and just plain outstanding weird lyrics matched with stellar songs, you could do a whole lot worse. By now they have over 20 albums and I have most of them. After all that time, I still come back to this one a couple times a year. It always sounds as great as the day I first heard it.

I've been a Sparks fan since I saw them perform the songs from Kimono My House in NYC in 1975. They really put on a great show and I bought the album. I have to say it is one of those rare albums that you listen to straight through, because there aren't any weak tracks! Sparks has been compared to Queen, mostly for the great falsettos of their lead singers. But let me say this- Ron and Russel Mael have an act like no other. Their pop rock in Kimono My House is so unique, going from frantic, pulsating hard rock to cabaret-style to beer hall waltz (Falling in Love With Myself Again) all penned and performed with a great sense of fun, as was pretty much all of their music. Ron Mael's songwriting talent is as impressive as any of the greats, even moreso, because Sparks is still rocking today! If you want proof, go to [...] and check out some of my favorite of their recent videos like Perfume, Dick Around, When Do I Get to Sing My Way, and The Rhythm Thief. Then you'll see why I call them one of the most underrated of all time...Sparks Rocks!!!

I'm really surprised with this album. Sparks sound like they were years ahead of their time, and influenced bands like the New Pornographers and Of Montreal, because the lead singer of Sparks resembles the lead singers of those current bands. So it's really amazing to me a style of brightly creative pop-writing like this actually came out in the early 70's. Another interesting and yet bizarre thing about this album is how clean the music sounds. Every song sounds so fresh because of the way the album was recorded, and it's just shocking to me the year it was released. This is an album I highly recommend to fans of indie pop and for people who admire solid vocal melodies.

Sparks has been around a long time and continue to release intriguing CD's, but their third effort remains my favorite. After two quirky and ignored albums issued as Halfnelson, the California brothers Ron and Russell Mael changed their name to Sparks, recorded "Kimono My House" (1974), and achieved stardom in England and throughout Europe. This CD yielded 2 number one British hits: "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" and "Amateur Hour". Their sound was a winning combination of Queen, Roxy Music, Beach Boys, and Kinks. Ron writes great songs, and Russell equals Freddie Mercury in the falsetto department. Exciting, funny, fun - there's not enough superlatives to describe this. They followed up with their album "Propaganda", which was good, but tried a little too hard to duplicate the successful formula of Kimono. Their next effort "Indiscreet" was a great one, as were "Big Beat" (an attempt at straight-forward arena rock), and "Angst In My Pants" (punkier - fast, short and catchy). They then abandoned rock for a while and became semi-disco "dance music" stars. Great albums from this period are "No.1 In Heaven", "In Outer Space", "Music That You Can Dance To", and "Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins". No matter which genre they work in, all their records are infused with their trademark wit and good humor. Sparks has put out 21 CD's as of this writing. I'm a big fan and have them all, but the truth is - some are better than others. The 8 I've singled out (9, if you count "Propaganda") are their best and most consistently good - and highly recommended. If that's more than you'd like to spend, there's the excellent 2-CD compilation "Profile: The Ultimate Sparks Collection". Years ago a rock critic wrote: "Sparks fans remain loyal because they know the band offers kicks you can't find anywhere else". He was right.

Reviews

Citing the great line from Road House: "I thought you'd be taller", I remember this work being taller in the seventies. Punk ruined me, and though Sparks can validly be seen as a precursor of Punk, I find this work essentially unlistenable. In their defense they have not turned into complete assclowns such as has Elvis Costello (you know I'm right!), or Van Morrison; but let's not go there. Buy it for Muff Winwood's production; but better still, buy the Butthole Surfers and join the 21st. Century.

Was I seem to recall more or less right in the middle of the right age when I first heard this great bleeding record right here. I was actually in front of the telly back then, a Thursday night, Top of the Pops--the dude playing piano sported a not uncontroversial moustache I remember. Next day at school I needn't tell you was a bit of a larf with everyone trying to remember the lyrics. That whole album which nearly everyone I knew back then cycled off immediately to buy is by no manner of means an essential precondition to getting funked up and jiggy but alls I'm saying is I still bung this platter in the microwave once every blue moon and I'm here to tell you that to this day Sparks still fly in my hut. Another album furthermore that sounds best in the early AM of a day off. Top of the Pops though, eh? It didn't hurt a single solitary bit either I suppose that Pan's People were the resident dance troupe on this show. Most of the bands too only pretended to play live and just lip-synched their way through their latest syncopated upchuck but occasionally a light did go on as in Sparks here tearing through This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us. Don't think for a minute I'm fooling either coz even though the lead singer, Russell Mael, the brother in fact of the wacky dude on piano with the provocative upper lip, was kinda sometimes up there in the frankly irritating falsetto range like for instance Geddy Lee habitually STARTS OFF IN, he never seemed to overwhelm in any way what are when turned up to very nearly eleven ten timeless and outrageously jaunty little numbers.

Sparks might be considered the chameleon of pop/rock because they seem to be right on the edge of every musical trend. Truth be told, they set every musical trend. Everything they do is ahead of its time, setting the stage for many acts to follow. The first five albums are my college years. We ran to Cleveland twice to see Sparks in concert - once in a large music hall opened by the Flourescent Leach and Eddie; the second time in a smaller club opened by Budgie. Their live act in the mid-seventies - once in support of Kimono My House, then in support of Propaganda - was a wild mix of musical and theatrical excellence. Kimono My House was spectacular - still is. The lyrics are clever and funny and poignant. The music is driving, great rock. The three Island records are one phase in Sparks career. Big Beat and Introducing Sparks are similar in some respects but not as rocking. Then there's the move into electronica with Giorgio Moroder - once again they set the trend. Go on to listen to Dick Around today. They are still creating great music. Outstanding lyrics and perfect music. But Kimono My House is the best introduction to Sparks. Buy this and get into the groove. Rock and roll meets Gilbert and Sullivan. You can't beat this.

I believe it was a night in mid December 1974 when I had my first Sparks experience. It was a live concert on some obscure late night music special. Suddenly I was face to face with with Ron Mael, slouched over his keyboards and looking like the love child of Adolph Hitler and David Byrne. I was intrigued. Then came Russel Mael's warbling falsetto layered over some of the quirkiest lyrics I'd ever heard. I believe the song was Talent Is An Asset. I had to know more. I bought Kimono My House, dropped the needle and opened my mind. This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us hit my ears with it's steady beat and clever arrangement. I remember being struck by Russel's vocal work on this song. It was unlkine anything I'd ever heard. Amateur Hour was the next Sparks nugget to strike a chord. The hook going into the chorus is what caught me. I went back and listened to the lyrics and nearly laughed myself sick. "when you turn a pro you'll know, she'll let you know!" The lyrics took me back to every nervous "encounter" I'd ever had. Thank God It's Not Christmas held the same comic appeal. Talent Is An Asset sounds like the Christy Minstrels meet the B52s. The drums kick start this musical frolic with Ron's keyboards, bass and lead guitars to follow. What amazes me to this day is how far ahead of the game this band was. What frustrates me is that American audiences never really caught on. Before the Talking Heads and the B52s, Sparks was bending melodies and planting their lyrical tounges firmly in their cheeks. They weren't new wave, they weren't glam, and they weren't pop. They were, and still are unique and undeniably origional. The band is ambiguous,fun and fresh. Kimono My House is an ecclectic mix of black comedy lyrics and superb musicianship. I played the gooves out of this record and never grew tired of it. It's the best kept secret that I have stored in my stacks of vinyl.

These Brits were just as odd to music in the mid 70s as the Monty Python Brits had been to television a few years earlier. Their group of songs blended together as connected and disjointedly as the skits in a Python show. I saw Sparks in concert in the summer of '76 or '77 or was it '78(?) (so long ago.) I was given a free ticket, and so off I went. Columbus, Ohio, and I expected nothing (had never heard of the band), but to have a few drinks in the Agora theater on High St. I was happily surprised. Many of the songs from Kimono My House and Propaganda were featured. Falsetto-voiced singer with Hitler at the keyboards. Great . Both child-like and adult at the same time. One of the best shows ever, and I've seen the Stones four times. They did a TV video, and were featured in the movie Roller Coaster. One of 70's rock's best kept secrets. NOTE: Some with be emarrased to listen to this band just because the singer's voice is so high pitched, but give the guitarist and the lyrics a chance and they'll hook ya. their release entitled, Indiscreet, is also worthy of a listen or two or three or more. Five stars for both originality and quality.

Reviews

Citing the great line from Road House: "I thought you'd be taller", I remember this work being taller in the seventies. Punk ruined me, and though Sparks can validly be seen as a precursor of Punk, I find this work essentially unlistenable. In their defense they have not turned into complete assclowns such as has Elvis Costello (you know I'm right!), or Van Morrison; but let's not go there. Buy it for Muff Winwood's production; but better still, buy the Butthole Surfers and join the 21st. Century.

Was I seem to recall more or less right in the middle of the right age when I first heard this great bleeding record right here. I was actually in front of the telly back then, a Thursday night, Top of the Pops--the dude playing piano sported a not uncontroversial moustache I remember. Next day at school I needn't tell you was a bit of a larf with everyone trying to remember the lyrics. That whole album which nearly everyone I knew back then cycled off immediately to buy is by no manner of means an essential precondition to getting funked up and jiggy but alls I'm saying is I still bung this platter in the microwave once every blue moon and I'm here to tell you that to this day Sparks still fly in my hut. Another album furthermore that sounds best in the early AM of a day off. Top of the Pops though, eh? It didn't hurt a single solitary bit either I suppose that Pan's People were the resident dance troupe on this show. Most of the bands too only pretended to play live and just lip-synched their way through their latest syncopated upchuck but occasionally a light did go on as in Sparks here tearing through This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us. Don't think for a minute I'm fooling either coz even though the lead singer, Russell Mael, the brother in fact of the wacky dude on piano with the provocative upper lip, was kinda sometimes up there in the frankly irritating falsetto range like for instance Geddy Lee habitually STARTS OFF IN, he never seemed to overwhelm in any way what are when turned up to very nearly eleven ten timeless and outrageously jaunty little numbers.

Sparks might be considered the chameleon of pop/rock because they seem to be right on the edge of every musical trend. Truth be told, they set every musical trend. Everything they do is ahead of its time, setting the stage for many acts to follow. The first five albums are my college years. We ran to Cleveland twice to see Sparks in concert - once in a large music hall opened by the Flourescent Leach and Eddie; the second time in a smaller club opened by Budgie. Their live act in the mid-seventies - once in support of Kimono My House, then in support of Propaganda - was a wild mix of musical and theatrical excellence. Kimono My House was spectacular - still is. The lyrics are clever and funny and poignant. The music is driving, great rock. The three Island records are one phase in Sparks career. Big Beat and Introducing Sparks are similar in some respects but not as rocking. Then there's the move into electronica with Giorgio Moroder - once again they set the trend. Go on to listen to Dick Around today. They are still creating great music. Outstanding lyrics and perfect music. But Kimono My House is the best introduction to Sparks. Buy this and get into the groove. Rock and roll meets Gilbert and Sullivan. You can't beat this.

I believe it was a night in mid December 1974 when I had my first Sparks experience. It was a live concert on some obscure late night music special. Suddenly I was face to face with with Ron Mael, slouched over his keyboards and looking like the love child of Adolph Hitler and David Byrne. I was intrigued. Then came Russel Mael's warbling falsetto layered over some of the quirkiest lyrics I'd ever heard. I believe the song was Talent Is An Asset. I had to know more. I bought Kimono My House, dropped the needle and opened my mind. This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us hit my ears with it's steady beat and clever arrangement. I remember being struck by Russel's vocal work on this song. It was unlkine anything I'd ever heard. Amateur Hour was the next Sparks nugget to strike a chord. The hook going into the chorus is what caught me. I went back and listened to the lyrics and nearly laughed myself sick. "when you turn a pro you'll know, she'll let you know!" The lyrics took me back to every nervous "encounter" I'd ever had. Thank God It's Not Christmas held the same comic appeal. Talent Is An Asset sounds like the Christy Minstrels meet the B52s. The drums kick start this musical frolic with Ron's keyboards, bass and lead guitars to follow. What amazes me to this day is how far ahead of the game this band was. What frustrates me is that American audiences never really caught on. Before the Talking Heads and the B52s, Sparks was bending melodies and planting their lyrical tounges firmly in their cheeks. They weren't new wave, they weren't glam, and they weren't pop. They were, and still are unique and undeniably origional. The band is ambiguous,fun and fresh. Kimono My House is an ecclectic mix of black comedy lyrics and superb musicianship. I played the gooves out of this record and never grew tired of it. It's the best kept secret that I have stored in my stacks of vinyl.

These Brits were just as odd to music in the mid 70s as the Monty Python Brits had been to television a few years earlier. Their group of songs blended together as connected and disjointedly as the skits in a Python show. I saw Sparks in concert in the summer of '76 or '77 or was it '78(?) (so long ago.) I was given a free ticket, and so off I went. Columbus, Ohio, and I expected nothing (had never heard of the band), but to have a few drinks in the Agora theater on High St. I was happily surprised. Many of the songs from Kimono My House and Propaganda were featured. Falsetto-voiced singer with Hitler at the keyboards. Great . Both child-like and adult at the same time. One of the best shows ever, and I've seen the Stones four times. They did a TV video, and were featured in the movie Roller Coaster. One of 70's rock's best kept secrets. NOTE: Some with be emarrased to listen to this band just because the singer's voice is so high pitched, but give the guitarist and the lyrics a chance and they'll hook ya. their release entitled, Indiscreet, is also worthy of a listen or two or three or more. Five stars for both originality and quality.

Reviews

Picture shows six different kinds... mine only included three. Very dissapointing! Otherwise, sampler was packaged well and nothing was expired.

As described, I received: QTY 12 - Beyond 7 Sheerlon (regular) QTY 12 - Beyond 7 Sheerlon Studded QTY 12 - Crown Skin Less Skin QTY 12 - Crown Assorted Colors But was expecting the Beyond 7 Aloe as well due to the photo. It's my fault for not reading the description, and the price is still good. If the photo didn't include the Aloe, I'd have given this five stars. As the other reviewer mentioned, these were all lightly lubricated which is fine since I always supplement.

bought this per review from other site that claim this is thinnest and the best. I thought to give it a try. it is indeed thin, but that is the only good thing about it. it will not fit good, easily come off. too small i think and i am not even a big person the lubrication is really lacking and after a few minutes it is gone. After that it is literally direct friction of the condom to skin. It caused it to break easily and hurt. I will not recommend this at all. Too much risk to use :)

Reviews

This is the thinnest condom I ever used. It gives u great pleasure. Highly recommended. The best one!!